03/22, 8:09pm

Disrupting industries is the new black, great apps and fair app prices, bad jokes

The MacNN Podcast episode seven is now available, and this week we looked at the rumor that Apple is preparing to revamp the Apple TV and sweeten the pot with an optional package of channel offerings that don't require a cable subscription; Google's entry into the MVNO space; the recent Microsoft announcements about Windows 10; Facebook getting into inter-site payments; the return of Launcher to the App Store, and the removal of so-called "anti-virus" iOS apps; our latest "Living With" column; and our favorite apps of the week.

03/18, 9:26am

Rollout of money-sending service in Facebook Messenger app can take months

Facebook has launched its rumored money transfer service, rolling it out in its Messenger app for iOS and Android, as well as for desktop users. The new feature will allow users to make payments to other Facebook members directly from within the app, with the financial transfers said to be completely free for all parties involved, and with payments claimed to take between one and three days to complete.

02/11, 6:29pm

Square allegedly working on Android hardware, Google trials Plaso

Square and Google are both said to be working on new payment systems in order to take on Apple Pay and the payments market in general, according to a report. Building upon its existing knowledge of payment hardware, Square is said to be working on its own tablet, while Google is allegedly testing a new payment processing method called "Plaso."

02/09, 6:34pm

Local eateries leverage mobile app, mobile payment to grow business

Restaurant app maker ChowNow, which supplies restaurants with an integrated system to tie customized mobile apps and social media to make take-out or delivery ordering easier, has added Apple Pay capability to the apps of its nearly 700 restaurant clients. The effort to add Apple Pay has been ongoing for nearly two months, with a recent flurry of activity to bring the convenient e-payments system to most of its clients.

01/11, 3:24am

Call it the omni-terminal: point-of-sale terminal maker Verifone has unveiled a new model, the PAYware Mobile e355, which the company says is compatible with all forms of mobile and traditional card payments, from simple magnetic stripe (currently widely used in the US) to chip-and-PIN EMV cards coming this year, and all forms of NFC-based payment systems utilizing iOS, Android or Windows Phone -- including Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Softcard and others.

12/19, 10:45pm

Whole Foods, McDonald's, Walgreens seeing biggest jump in usage

A study by research firm ITG suggest that Apple Pay -- introduced in October -- is already accounting for one percent of all digital payments - for comparison purposes, the three-plus-year-old Google Wallet system holds about four percent of digital payments. The firm also noted that those using Apple Pay increased spending using mobile payments, and tended to use the technology frequently -- resulting in a jump in sales at top merchants that accepted Apple Pay, such as Walgreens, Whole Foods and McDonald's.

11/16, 1:04pm

Walgreens, others say Apple payment system is now most popular NFC payment method

Just a month after its debut, Apple Pay appears to be dominating NFC payment systems where it is available, according to reports, with the public quickly accepting the new checkout method due to its ease of use and speed. McDonald's recently noted that 50 percent of its contactless payments are now coming from Apple Pay, while Walgreens reports similar figures -- saying that the number of mobile transactions it has processed since Apple Pay's debut has doubled.

10/19, 1:59pm

Zwipe, MasterCard team up to combine fingerprint authentication, contactless payments

At a press event last week, MasterCard and Zwipe announced a new type of payment card dubbed the Zwipe MasterCard. Where the new card is different from the the standard credit or debit card is in the payment process, looking to biometrics to approve purchases. The Zwipe MasterCard uses authentication via fingerprint for MasterCard contactless payment terminals, while retaining Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) chips on cards.

10/13, 8:35am

BPCE, Twitter preparing to launch money transfers via tweets

Twitter users in France will soon be able to send money to other users by tweeting, according to a report. Groupe BPCE, the second-largest bank in France based on customer numbers, will apparently start providing simple person-to-person transfers of funds within the country, with the sender able to pass funds along to other people without knowing any of the recipient's bank information.

09/23, 1:06pm

Jack Dorsey encouraged by Apple Pay, does not see it as competition to Square

Square's next generation of payment terminal could allow retailers to accept payments from Bitcoin and Apple Pay, the company head has suggested. In an interview, CEO Jack Dorsey explained that a future version of its cash register system will be able to accept a number of different payment types, on top of the current credit card payments it currently works with.

08/25, 7:58am

Coin extends card replacement beta to more users, removes extra cost

Digital credit card replacement start-up Coin has changed the requirements for its extended beta trial, as part of an apology for its heavily-delayed release. A message to backers advises it is extending the beta from 10,000 backers to 15,000 backers, and by making it available at no cost, it is also effectively removing the $30 "fee" for taking part in the trial.

08/22, 1:11pm

Coin asks backers to test card before public launch

Payment startup Coin is expanding its base of testers for its digital credit card replacement from 1,000 to 11,000 people. The crowd-funded project, which consists of a plastic card with a screen capable of storing various payment card details and can be swiped at ATMs and payment terminals, is attempting to fix as many issues as possible before it makes the card publicly available.

06/09, 12:28pm

Amazon is expanding the reach of its payment platform, by providing subscription-based payment options to customers, claims a report. Keen to take on PayPal, the retailer is said to be launching the service later today, which will let start-ups and other companies charge a monthly fee, such as a mobile phone bill or music subscription, to cards stored to a customer's Amazon account.

04/14, 2:35pm

Irish regulatory approval could be granted to Facebook within weeks

Facebook is working to provide financial services, such as allowing users to send money to each other, according to a report. The social network is said to be applying to regulators in Ireland to begin offering money storage and transmissions, something which could receive approval within weeks, and would directly place Facebook in competition with PayPal, Google Wallet, and other similar services.

01/30, 7:24am

Systems consisting of Kindle Fire tablet, card reader could head to stores this summer

A pair of reports claim that Amazon is moving further into the payments market, from two different directions. One plan involves offering retail stores a point-of-sale system using Kindle tablets, while another involves the creation of a system for person-to-person payments, in a similar service to that currently offered by payment processing competitor PayPal.

12/27, 3:02pm

Trial in April follows change in UK banking legislation

Banks and building societies in the United Kingdom are considering allowing customers to pay in checks using smartphones, the UK Treasury has announced. The change, which would involve bank customers to photograph a check using a smartphone instead of taking it to branch, could be implemented as part of a new Check 21 law, with the first trial of the system set to begin in April.

11/27, 12:15pm

4oD, the on-demand video service from British broadcaster Channel 4 is now available to use on the Roku and the Now TV streaming set-top boxes in the United Kingdom. The on-demand offering from Channel 4 accompanies similar services such as the BBC iPlayer and Demand 5 on the devices, as well as Sky's own Now TV prepaid Internet-based satellite television service.

11/27, 10:22am

Visa takes on PayPal, Google Wallet with online payments system

Visa has launched its online digital wallet in parts of Europe, one it initially announced in April last year, as the company tries to take on PayPal and Google Wallet. V.me by Visa is able to store payment details for multiple cards, which can then be used to make payments with retailers online instead of providing debit or credit card details.

09/26, 9:56am

Buyout to bolster PayPal capabilities

eBay has agreed to acquire Braintree, a company that specializes in payment systems, for approximately $800 million in cash. The startup will initially operate as a separate division under eBay's PayPal division, which has served as a dominant competitor in the payment-services market.

05/14, 4:40am

Developer kit to allow Card.io-based credit card scanning

Payment service PayPal has launched a new software development kit for Android. Following on from the iOS version launched in March, the Android SDK will allow developers to integrate PayPal payments into their apps, providing them with an alternative payment processing system to Google Play, and the option to pay for in-app items or services by credit or debit card.

05/10, 10:21am

Google Wallet Card could have acted as credit card proxy

Google is dropping its proposals to augment its Google Wallet payment system with a physical card, ahead of changes expected to be announced at Google I/O, according to reports. The news comes at the same time as the head of Google Wallet itself, Osama Bedier, will be leaving the company to pursue "other opportunities."

02/22, 9:46am

Initial roll-out in UK uses new Chip & Pin device

PayPal is rolling out a new version of its Here mobile payments system for Europe. Starting in the UK, the payments service will be providing businesses a pocket-sized device that will offer Chip & PIN protection for payments through a retailer's mobile phone, instead of the triangular attachment used in the United States.

11/15, 6:19am

Mobile payment system increases by five times in one year

Mobile payments system Square has reached a total of $10 billion in payments for the year. The company has increased its rate of payments from $5 billion in the sprint, and is up from the $8 billion figure two months ago. At this time last year, Square was passing just $2 billion in payments per year.